MindREADERS
by TheChosenKid
Summary: George Mark's vs. Kat Miller? I know summary probably sucks. Hopefully I've written a better one inside. Please R&R Chapt 2 & 3 up.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I'm still doing my other story, Torn Between Love & Hate, this just popped in my head._

_I'd also like to give props to oucellogal and Collider, two people who do kickass job of getting into the mind of Kat Miller. I literrally get headaches trying and still fail. So my hat go off to you two as I enjoy your work._

_Summary: What if Kat Miller joined the team back in season 2 instead of season 3? What if she was with them when they were getting slaughtered by George Mark's interviews? She'd have to face him too, but how would that all go down?_

Cold Case MindREADERS

"Don't you walk away from me. Don't you walk away from me!"

She watched in the Observation Room as her co-worker brought out the raging _beast _out of him. All Detective Lilly Rush did was walk towards the door after calling him on his shit. She used his own taunting tactics and threw right back at him. _Ever dream about it, George?_

Kat Miller couldn't help but feel satisfied when Lilly said it to him, although she didn't show it while standing in between Lieutenant John Stillman and Detective Scotty Valens. But right now, at the moment he shouted, she wanted Lilly to get out of there. _49. _He already brought up her past, something she obviously didn't want anyone to know about. Hell, even the tad bit of info like that was leaked from his lips, it should have never been for their ears. She didn't see the poor girl's face, but her voice, the way she slightly swayed as if George Mark's words were a toxic cleaning supply and it filled the enclosed room, it made her worry.

Sure Miller just joined the team, she wasn't even considered family at this point, and yet, as the bastard was her trying to torment the only other female homicide detective in Philly, it was breaking her heart. _Don't let 'em get to ya, Rush._ But now, right _now_, he'd snapped. He turned so fast, she was sure he'd whiplash.

"Out there he's not." Kat watched as he tried to retain his poker face. But it was too late, she was sure of it.

She watches as Lilly immediately turns around at that. She knew she would pounce on it, that was her interrogation tactic.

"Where? In the woods?" Lilly stares at him in the eyes. "Tell me…" She begins to walk back towards him. "Who are you in the woods?"

He tries to slip his damn poker face back on as he speaks in a low barely audible tone. "He's-"

"You. Who you are. Tell me."

_Make him fold._ Kat knew she had him. She knew Lilly had this. She knew that sick son-of-a-bitch was going to confess his sins as if she was his priest.

_You got 'em, Rush. Just get the confession…_

"God"

That single word of deadly power began putting a nauseating feeling in her stomach and she knew there wasn't enough Pepto Bismol in the world that was going to fix it at the moment, but she was strong, she wasn't going to let that sick mind of this bastard get to her.

He begins speaking in a daze. It took her a good second to realize that he was explaining the moment before the death of Janet Lambert, the main focused victim in the case. The way he spoke of the night, as if they went hand-in-hand, the way he spoke of Lambert as she fell to the ground of exhaustion crying, pleading for her life. Not for her own benefit, but for her daughter's. _'I can't break anymore promises to her.'_ That woman could break anymore promises, she was all her daughter had, but she knew that was defeated.

'_I love you little girl.'_

Miller didn't realize at first that tears were stinging her eyes. She also didn't realize that her panting was going a little shallow and her fists were clenched at her side. She took a deep breath and unclenched her hands, she didn't need to have her colleagues know that this was getting to her. Quite frankly, they knew nothing about her, she only been there a month.

After her deep breath was taken, George took one as well. He placed his hands back on the table and began to rise from his chair. "I'm done with you."

_No, no, no, no, no. What the hell?_ "Tell me how you killed her." Lilly immediately cuts his pathway off.

He went on in his casual tone, as if he didn't practically tell how he killed Lambert. "I gave you my thoughts…my conjecture. We were just talking, right?" _Oh no. That goddamn poker face is back._

Lilly moves closer to his face, and Kat couldn't help but could tell that she was in a slight panic. They both was so goddamn sure she had it, hell they _all_ was so sure she had it.

"What did you do with her head?" _Rush you're slipping…_

"You mean, what did _he_ do?" _You're calling his bluff! Get him to fold goddammit!_

Kat was getting impatient as the tension and anticipation was getting worse. She needed to do something. Help Lil block the bastard off, let him go and track him, hell, she wanted to run her fingers in her short corkscrew curls, but she couldn't do a damn thing and she knew it.

"Where did you put them, George?" Lilly was getting far from impatient as well.

"Ask him. I have no idea. It's over." _The hell it ain't over!_

Apparently Lil was thinking the same, only she vocally said it. "No, it's not over, so sit down." For a moment, Kat was sure that Lil was going to break and shove his big ass down onto the steel chair, but she didn't, even though she knew she wanted to.

George spoke in a careful tone. "Oh no, it's over."

All Kat could do was stare into the defeated and helpless look on Lilly Rush's face as he brushed past her towards the doorframe, her looking into the mirror with her teary-red eyes. _No, don't fold! He can't walk! You had him right in your hands and he slipped-_

Her thoughts were cut off with Scotty's shocked voice. "He's just gonna walk?"

"No confession." Detective Nick Vera spoke. Kat didn't need to see him to know that he was piercing his eyes through the glass. The dark raspy voice was enough to know that he was furious. He wanted to kick that guy ass, that he be begging him to put a damn .38 in _his_ chest.

"She was close." Defeat entered Detective Will Jeffries voice as well.

"He can't walk." She hadn't realized that she spoken until Scotty cast a glance at her before turning his attention back to the scene before them.

"I'll be watching you." Lilly spoke behind him. George stopped in the doorway between and turned around, looking at her as if he was not affected by her words at all.

"Think I might leave town. Do some traveling. Beautiful country we live in, lots of empty woods ..." He speaks so lightly as if there were nothing wrong with the words he was saying as he taunted Lilly. He furrows his eyebrows. "You ever hunt?"

Lilly was uncomfortable by the question she knew, but she didn't really show it. "No."

His taunting continues as he lays his dark eyes into Lilly's blue ones. "We should try it sometime, together."

He stares at her for a moment, silence of her defeat taken over. But then he chuckles and what he said next was something no one expected, especially not Kat.

"We'll bring the Killer Miller along too." He turns his head towards mirror.

_What? Bring Who? But- I…what?_ Kat even form words in her mind, let along let any form out of her mouth.

Lilly blinks in surprise, as she sure everyone else did too. "What?"

All Kat did was watch as George walked past Lilly again, only going to the mirror. Although he was only staring into his own reflection, to Kat, it was like he staring into her eyes as he stopped right in front of her. The nauseating feeling was getting stronger.

"I'm done with you, blondie." He sighs and cocks his head to the side. "Bring me the curly top narc."

They stared a moment longer. _This son-of-a-bitch want me? Well guess what mutha fucka, it's gonna a lot more than that to get inside _this_ head._ He was so damn close, it felt like he was pressed up in front of her. _How did he get so damn close?_

"Miller." The voice was firm. A voice he hadn't heard throughout the entire interview. A voice that had cut her from her thoughts and it was then how she realized how George Marks got to damn close. She was almost practically pressed again the glass.

She slowly back away from the glass and turns to her right side to face her boss. "Yeah boss?" She spoke in her normal tone, couldn't even tell that there was nothing wrong.

Stillman didn't say anything else. He looks down at her, with her looking back at him. Although no words were exchanged, she knew what he meant. He was putting his faith into her. Hell, that was how she got this job in the first place. Stillman's putting his faith in her, not like he has a choice at this point.

Kat turns to the one-sided mirror, just to see George 'look' at her one more time before turning to go back to his steel chair across the room. She looks over by the doorway and sees Lilly look over to the glass, her eyes still red, but no longer teary. She could tell tell she still wanted a piece of him, but she couldn't, not now. Not if they wanted the chance to put this sick bastard behind bars. He wanted the curly head narc, then that's what he was going to get. She watches as Lilly steps out, closing the door behind her.

She turns towards the door, leading into the Interview Room, scratch that, this is the Elimination Chamber. Every one of these detectives got hit with George mental tactics, eliminating them one by one. She was all they had left. The rookie cop who just made homicide a month ago. She's used to dealing with gang bangers, junkies, and dealers, not sick sadistic bastards. She started to take a step forward until she felt an arm grab her bicep, holding her back.

"Boss, you're seriously not lettin' her in there, are you?" Valens voice was full of concern and building rage. "Not after what just happened with Lilly."

She turned her head facing him, not giving him the glare she wanted to. Any other time she would have been completely offended by the fact that he didn't think she could handle herself. But he was worried, he was concerned.

"Valens, I got it." She looked deep into his eyes, at her best to try and convince him that she was right. He's let go of her arm but didn't look away from her eyes until he heard his name again.

"Scotty," Stillman walks up beside him, "we need this confession. Do you want him to walk?"

Scotty looks away towards the glass. "No." He mumbles.

Stillman, again, looks over at Miller who was directly in front of him. He nods his head slightly. She nods back to him before walking towards the door again. She knew what he wanted. She had to deliver. She places her hand on the knob. She was ready. _Time to deal the deck. Let the games begin._

_A/N: So what do you think? I'll try and finish the next chapter by the end of the week, hopefully if I get reviews._


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: I'm sorry I took a while before posting this up. The Computer and I were having disagreements. Hopefully it was made up with this long chapter._

Cold Case MindREADERS

Chapter 2

_Poker face on? Check._ Kat Miller steps into the Elimination Chamber, prepared. Not exactly prepared to the fact that he wanted her to interview him, because that in itself was something nobody was prepared for, but she was prepared to take whatever this sick freak bastard wanted to throw at her. It couldn't have been much, she hadn't been here that long. It was _he_ who couldn't have been prepared for _her_.

"Detective Kat Renee Miller."

That was the first time someone ever used her real name with her with her title in front of it. Hell the fact that he used her _whole_ name threw her off for a moment. But she wasn't going to let that bother her. She had a game to play.

"Mr. George Donald Marks." She closes the door behind her, casually walking towards the table. "I heard you had a special request for a curly head narc." She stops walking and places a hand on her hip, looking at herself up and down. "I'm sorry we're fresh out," A smirk forms on her lips, "but I have a curly head _homicide_ detective if you want."

A flicker of amusement flashes in his eyes, but only for a second. "I wish I could have had the opportunity to have my eye on you longer." He looks her directly into her eyes, as if he was trying to read her or something. _You think that look is gonna faze me?_ "Your file intrigues me as much as blondie's."

_He read my file too?_ She sure as hell hoped that this creep didn't, but unfortunately, there was no luck. She cocks her eyebrow, smirk still in place. _Poker face._ "Really?" She kept her voice light, as if she was really interested, as if she really wanted to know what he knew, but she had a job to do. She'd deal whatever he threw at her later, right now, she needed the confession. "So you read my file?" She takes a seat across from him. "I read yours too."

She did see his file, before Lilly took it for her own interrogation. _Real freak show._ She continues on. "But I'm not here to talk about you. We're getting insight, your theories on this case, remember?"

"Wish I could say I'm glad to help. Your fellow colleagues seem to be anything but pleasant."

"Hmm," _Where you goin' with this? _"I guess they can have their moments." She chuckles, leaning back, getting comfortable, poker face still attached.

"Not sure how _you'd _know. You'd only been here for twenty-eight days."

_He's good._ "Twenty-nine actually." She spoke in a casual, flashing him a smile, as if she was speaking with an old friend.

George's eyes narrow slightly, but only for a moment. If was obvious that he didn't like being corrected. "I apologize. Cramming in last minute information about new baby detective, somewhat overwhelmed me."

_Baby?_ She was offended by the word, but she made sure her smirk never faded and the tone in her voice never changed. She be damned if she let this bastard get a rise out of her because of a single word.

"I'm far from a baby."

George smacks his lips, as if he came to a realization. "Ah yes, of course not. Because babies can't have babies. Am I right, Kat?"

The smirk began to fade, as anger began to rise in her body. _He ain't goin there. I _know_ he ain't goin' there._ He continues, feeling satisfied that he's making somewhat progress. "How is that little girl of yours?"

Kat shifts in her seat, ready to knock those thick-ass, horribly looking glasses right off his face, and then some. No one in homicide knew Miller had a daughter. She was always protective of her personal life, her daughter included. _Strike One._

Her voice spoke a little lower as she struggles to keep it causal. "We're not here to talk about my daughter. We're here to get your observation on our doer."

George raises his eyebrows. "Oh, that's what I'm doing. But in order to do that, I need _you_ to get in the mind of the victim." _Mind of the victim?_ "I need you to get into the mind of Janet Lambert. You know, mother to mother."

Kat clenches her jaw. She didn't want to get into the mind of Lambert. She wanted nowhere near it. That was the victim that affected her most, cut real deep.

George continues, moving his body more over the table. "She made a promise, a promise to her daughter. She didn't want to break that promise." He stares directly into her eyes, she only stared back. "Now, I'm sure you made a promise to your daughter. After you got shot? Fishtown, if I remember correctly?"

Bang!

The loud noise rang in her ears and she shuts her eyes with irritation. She had no idea where it came from, she wasn't even sure what it was at first. But then to her realization, it was the sound of a gunshot. She opens her eyes to see George still staring at her with that damn creepy smirk. _Strike Two._ That sound, it was from her own memory of her injury in Fishtown. But she wasn't going let that bother her, she couldn't let him slip through her, she didn't even have a hold of him yet.

"I made promises, but I've never broken 'em. So I can't help you with that."

"Life of a cop, promises should never be made. They're only meant to be broken sooner."

Kat's left leg begin to tighten. She _did_ make a promise, a promise she always swore she'd never break. She promised her daughter she'd never get hurt on the job again, but she knew there were no guarantees. She just didn't want to see the traumatic look on her daughter's face when she first walked through her apartment door with her leg wrapped up and a crutch under each arm.

When she said nothing, George took it as his cue to continue. "Janet was just a clerk at convenient store. But you, Kat Miller, with the reputation of being badass in the narc department, you're setting yourself up for trouble. You're a fighter." He stares at her for a moment, knowing that she trying her hardest to keep her composure, looking for a way for her to crack. _You're gonna have to try harder than that._ "That 49 of yours just proves my point."

She thought her heart had stopped, but it was obviously still beating because that damn leg was starting to twitch. _Strike…Strike…_ She couldn't let her mind go say it. She didn't want to let her personal life affect the case. Dammit, she needed this confession. So she hops up out of her chair before she did something that'll cost her, her precious job. She takes a few steps over the door that lead to the office, both hands on her hips, taking deep breaths.

George begins again, speaks as if he was reading off her file, though he was staring straight ahead into the mirror. "Fifteen year old Kat Miller, walking down the street with her best friend from school after band practice." She turns around after making sure she replaced the fury in her eyes with calmness, walking back to the table across from George. _Poker face._ She places both hands on the table leaning in towards his face. _Too close Kat. You're too close._ She didn't listen to the inner-thoughts that were swimming in the back of her head. She wanted to let him know that he wasn't getting to her. Whatever he threw at her, she'd deal with it later.

"Keep it coming." Her voice was still calm, but no longer causal. It was too low and raspy for that.

George cocks his head to the side, obviously surprised that she wanted him to continue. "No need, not now, not here. Maybe another time._"_ He pauses. _"_You know, you and blondie should swap stories." He chuckles slightly. "I've always loved nonfiction."

_Poker face._ She knew Lilly was in the observation room, along with everyone else. She couldn't help but wonder what was going through _her_ mind at the moment. Was it the same thoughts that she had when she saw Lilly in there with him, speaking of her past? She needed some form of encouragement, but with that one-sided mirror, there was no way she'd find it there. At that moment, she began to realize how she was beginning to fail in the first place. _She_ wasn't asking the damn questions. _How the hell did I let that happen?_ She was going to ask him questions, no matter how much he threw her, but somehow he'd detour her from every asking anything in the first place. He turned her game plan around, and now _she_ was the one who was about to give in. _Fine, you threw in your chips, now I'm 'bout to raise you two hundred._

She slowly sits back in her seat, her voice not as low and raspy as before, but not completely back to the casual tone it was before. She was back on track. "I love nonfiction too. Love mysterious, dark stories, but I don't like to be left hangin' on a cliffhanger." _Hit 'em where it hurts._ "So tell me George, you know this story better than I do, how _did_ your mother die?"

The smile drops from his face and he shift away from his table. "She was murdered. I'm hanging on the cliff just as much as you, only I've been hanging much longer."

Kat sits back up from leaning over the table, she had a new angle. "Hangin' huh?" The question was left in the air, unanswered. Staring into the eyes of a sadistic killer could bring two things, hypnotization until he has you where he wants you, or revival power, making him break. She stares into the dark eyes, looking behind those thick glasses, and most importantly, her poker face was still on. She was playing with the big boys of homicide, she was on a totally different level of card playing.

As she stares at him, he stares at her right back. Every now and again, a blink would break the hold, but neither's concentration. This wasn't just some staring contest, this wasn't some game of who had, and it sure as hell wasn't just glare she'd give Vera for asking questions he shouldn't someone he hardly knows. Hell, there wasn't even a glare, just staring. This game was about showing how much power you have over your opponent. She was ready for him to break, and she sure wasn't giving in. Not with getting this far, being stuck in this cold ass room, not with her fellow colleagues behind the mirror sitting behind her watching. Her boss who's putting his faith to get this done, she wasn't going down. She didn't even budge. Just stared…waiting.

She didn't normally use this tactic, she'd use the badass approach, just like with her junkies, drug lords, and dealers back in narcs. But this was _homicide_, she needed a new approach and it was never too late to do it. And to make it work, she had to block out every painful thing he through at her. She waited…waited…and-

There it was. What she'd been staring for the past three minutes for, it happened. He flared his nostrils, only for a brief moment, but it was enough for her to know that her stare was affecting him in someway. She didn't know exactly how it was affecting him, but it didn't matter, she was going in for the kill. _Time to make 'em fold._ She simply cocks her head to the side slightly, the only movement she'd made for the past three minutes aside form blinking, and a fast grin comes and goes on her face. She swiftly rises from her metal chair and walks around the table, never breaking eye contact until she was behind him.

George did turn around, he just sat straight forward. She needed him to break, she places each arm on both sides of him, placing her hand on the cold metallic table, leaning her body slightly forward, making it about an inch away from his back. She moves her head behind his ear, breathing on it. _Too close. Too damn close Kat, back the hell up!_ Again, her inner thoughts were ignored by ambition. She need to him to break. At this point, she wasn't even sure why she wanted it so bad, she wasn't even sure it was about solving to case any more. It was just Kat Miller, and George Marks.

"I'm getting into the mind of the victim."

Her voice was low, and slightly raspy, but it wasn't like before. Before, there was anger in her rasp, even though her voice as a whole was still calm. But the way she spoke at this moment, it was as if it was her natural vocal tone. The best part was that he was silent, not a single word. She had the upper hand.

She continues. "I'm getting to the mind of not Janet Lambert." She smirks briefly again. "I'm getting in to mind of," She pauses, letting anticipation set into his mind, body and soul, "Simone Marks."

Even though her body was about an inch away from his, she felt his body tense up. She was making progress. _Back the hell up Kat, you're too close._ Yeah, so close to getting this damn confession. She had this. Stillman and Valens already mentioned to the rest of the team that George said the killer's mother was domineering and controlling. _Serial Killer 101._ All she had to do was be in the mind of a domineering, controlling mother. Being a mother protective mother, this shouldn't be too hard.

"George, this is your mother speaking." Her voice was now a light tone, so light that if her co-workers weren't looking at her, she was pretty sure they wouldn't believe it was her that was speaking. It had such a motherly tone, she was sure no one recognized it as her own. "George, I said this is your mother speaking."

More silence. Her voice became deeper, as if anger took over her vocals, but still containing the motherly tone. "George, when I'm speaking to you, you listen." She cocks her head to the side. "When I say something, you say 'yes ma'am'. Do you understand?"

George body tenses up even more, hesitating. "Yes ma'am."

Kat couldn't help but to raise an eyebrow at that. She wasn't sure if this freak was just humoring her, or if she was really getting inside his head. But the way the tension in his body was giving off slight shivers, she must have been getting somewhere. His mother was a soft spot for him, she was going to poke him and poke him until he popped. _Kat, for the love of God, back the hell up._

"You're an ungrateful, inconsiderate, worthless child." _Back up, now._ "You're not even worthy of me looking at you, oh wait, I'm blind."

George lets out a heavy, deep sigh. "You can see me."

_I can see you?_ His mother was blind, she was sure of it. She read the file herself. "No, I can't. I wouldn't want to. Then I would have to physically see how pathetic you are." _Back up Kat, please._ Her voice raises a little, trying to drown out her inner thoughts. She was close, she knew it. She was laying out her cards, Straight Flush. "I'm sick of defending a freak of a child and I'm sick of you." The tension in his body eased up almost completely. He seemed so relaxed, too relaxed. _Kat, back-_

It was too late. It happened so fast, she didn't even know what the hell happened at all. She wasn't even sure how she got pressed her back against the wall behind her. All she could see was his dark eyes behind those things he called glasses. He was so close, too close. Towering over her, his jaw clenched for a moment. She could tell that he was trying to remain calm, remember where he was. She heard the clicking of the door from the Observation Room, making her glance to the side. Valens had the door halfway open, so she immediately held up her index finger a little to signal him to wait. She didn't know him that well, she but she could tell he was ready to attack. She figured Stillman must have said something to him 'cause he was slowly and quietly closing the door, leaving it slightly cracked.

She glances over behind George, seeing his metallic chair flipped over. She realizes that he must have leaped up so quickly, her body automatically backed up, just like her instincts told her to. She just wants this case to be over. She's so close. She glances up into George's eyes, him still down at her.

"You want to kill me, don't you?" He doesn't answer, and the nauseating feeling was coming back. "You want to shoot me. You want to play God."

He doesn't speak at first, just continues to stare. Then he blinks as if he was trying to make things come into focus and raises his hand. She wanted to scream, she wanted to call for Stillman, or Valens, hell even nosey ass Vera, but she just froze, continuing to stare into his eyes. But to her relief, his hand goes to his glasses, adjusting them.

"You ever hunt?"

She heard that before, she knew where this conversation was going, she failed. He realized where he was going, where she was going, he realized it was all a trap. She shakes her head casually. "Don't exactly have a great area of woods in North Philly."

George smirks at that, giving her a slight chill, but she didn't show it. "Maybe I'll give you a call sometime, bring blondie along, and we'll all go hunting together."

Don't panic like Rush. She tries to stay calm, as if they were having everyday conversation. "Why not right now? I'm sure my boss wouldn't mind if I took the rest of the night off. All I have is my .45," She taps her holster on her side, "but I'm sure it'll do." He doesn't say anything, and she took it as a cue to continue. She leans to the side, getting a better glimpse of the one-side mirror. "What do say Rush? Up for a hunting trip?" She didn't want to put her fellow female back in the room, but she was sure she knew she still wanted a piece of him as well.

The cracked door immediately closed. Valens must have done it, trying to prevent Rush from going in there. But a few moments later, there she was. Lilly walked through the door cautiously. She looked at Kat, nodding her head, making sure she was okay, being that George was still standing in front of her as she was against the wall. She didn't want to nod back with him right there, but she knew that Lilly knew she was okay.

Lilly walks over to the two, using the casual vibe she was getting from Kat. "I'm game."

Kat turns her attention back to George, moving slightly closer to him. "What is the biggest lesson to learn in the woods?"

George "There are many lessons to be learned in the woods," he slowly starts backing away. _No, no, no! I laid out my cards, Straight Flush! He hadn't even showed me his hand._ She didn't want him to walk away.

"Then let's talk them over." Kat spoke right away. Too fast she realized. "I can go all night."

"Rain check." George looks over to his side at Lilly. "I'll be sure to give you a call."

Lilly nods her head. "I'll be waiting." She glances over at Kat. "_We'll _be waiting."

George looks over back at Kat. "I'm done with you." Those four words that ended each interrogation, he was officially done. He started walking towards the door and Kat leans back against the wall, looking as he walked.

"Hey George." She called out. He pauses, slowly turning around to face the two women, particularly Kat. "We'll see you soon. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not the next day, but we will see you soon."

George lets out a slight chuckle. "Looking forward to it." He walks away, leaving her and Lilly in the room. Not a moment later, Valens was already in the room by their side.

"You girls okay?" Valens dark eyes scanned their bodies, mainly Kat's since he couldn't see her with George in the way, to see if there were any injuries.

Kat didn't answer, she knew she should of to reassure to most panicky detective on the team. She just continued to stare in the doorway where a serial killer slipped right through her fingers. Luckily, Lilly stepped in for both of them.

"We're fine Scotty." She places a hand on his shoulder. "We're fine."

_A/N: I've decided to continue writing this, putting her view into_ In The Woods _as well. Hope you all are enjoying._


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: I didn't really like the interrogation last chapter, but like I said, Kat Miller's crazy to do_.

Cold Case MindREADERS

Kat walks into her apartment, exhausted, and absolutely pissed off, mainly at herself. She couldn't believe that she just let him get away. So damn close. _Too close._ She drops her leather jacket and purse onto the couch, where her mother was sleeping, as she walked by towards her daughter's room. She opens it partially, looking upon her sleeping form. Her little angel, her six year old pride and joy.

Anger began to rise within her. The fact that the sick bastard would bring her up, she came out of his mouth, infuriated her. She silently shut the door, pulling out her pack of cigarettes while walking to her bedroom. She didn't even hit the switch to light up the room. She just headed towards her window, opening it up, letting the slightly cool air flow in, cooling off her angrily heated skin.

She settles herself onto the windowsill, looking onto the busy streets of North Philly. People walking down the streets, some she knew, a few she didn't, just casually walking as if it were broad daylight. She looks over at her alarm clock, the red light showing. _2:43._ _Don't these people ever sleep?_ She lights a cigarette, inhaling deeply, and propping her leg onto the sill. She exhales, taking in the nightlife of her neighborhood.

She couldn't for the love of God figure out why she was so interested in what these people on the streets were doing. Maybe it was the old feeling she was already missing since she was no longer doing undercover jobs, let alone narcotics. Maybe it was the fact that this is not too far from the neighborhood she grew up in.

But that wasn't it, neither of those were it. It wasn't these people in particular, it could be any body at this point. She needed to be distracted on someone else's problem. Anyone's problem, even the low lives who roam the streets nightly at this time of night, but her own.

She told herself that she deal with her problems later.

But she didn't want to deal with it now. She just wanted to smoke her cigarette, watch the no names that were down there, concentrating on what they were doing. Everything George threw at her, she promised she'd deal with them later. She'd deal with it later, just right now, not tonight.

_Pain. Excruciating pain in her limbs. Panting, running, tears, fear. The night sky was hovering over the trees she dodged, the rustling leaves, and herself._

_And him._

_He was gaining and she knew it. She had to get out of there. Those damn trees were endless. She'd been there for hours, running, being chased. The cool air was stinging her warm blooded body, making her want to wince in pain. Her body exposed to the extent of her black undergarments. Blood covered her legs, that alone should've been a sign that she was in serious trouble. She couldn't stop, she had to get out of there. Hell if it wasn't for her own life, it had to be for her little girl's._

_Ambition, adrenaline, and the love for her little girl was the only thing keeping her alive at this moment. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she fear it'll only give her encouragement to give in, she knew that it wasn't her natural ability of being a badass that was keeping her going._

_Leaping over log, rocks, and things she couldn't even identify, she felt her body weaken. Those thoughts were weakening her. She'd been doing extremely well based on the circumstances, for hours now, but the moment she thought of her daughter, the adrenaline was lowering, her ambition was fading, and the love of her daughter was being questioned in her mind._

I can't stop now. I have to get to my little girl.

_The pain in her legs was increasing rapidly. She wanted to make it, she knew she was so close. _Too close._ There was no way she was getting out of there at that moment. But she was given hope. She heard ringing, straight ahead. Her feet start pumping hard, even though her legs were trying to tell her 'no'. She couldn't allow that. She had somewhere to be. She needed to get out there alive._

_The ringing came louder and louder, she runs full speed, atleast how fast her body would let her go. _Almost there…

_She heard the ringing perfectly clear at that moment. It was so close. _Too close. _She had fallen to the ground after tripping. Dammit! I've been ducking and dodging all day, and I go down on a little trip. But this wasn't just any trip. What ever she tripped over was cold, hard, a clammy. She tried to get her body to make herself get up in take off again, but all adrenaline was lost. All she did was look down._

_She didn't see it coming. She didn't see it at all. More like, she didn't see _her_ at all. All she saw at first was paleness, cold paleness. Oh god, she didn't trip over a log or a rock, she tripped over _someone_._

_She closes her eyes, as she rolled the pale corpse over. She grazes her hand over the face, knowing without looking who exactly it was. She didn't want to open her eyes, but she couldn't help it. Her brown eyes gazes into glazed bright blue ones._

Lilly…He-He killed Lilly Rush.

_Dizziness takes control of her mind for a moment as she grab onto the lying, cold, dead body in a tight hug. Tears welled up in her eyes and her own body begin to shiver as she forgotten that she was practically naked. Blood from the bullet wound was still fresh. Goddamn son of a bitch! He was hunting Lilly exactly when he was hunting her. _

_The ringing began again, startling her and her moment of brief grief, and causing her to drop her dead colleague's body. The ringing happens again, and she looks down at Lilly's waist. _Her cellphone? How she'd sneak that past him? _She didn't know she didn't care, but she needed to shut up that ringing before the sick bastard found her. She snatches the phone from her waist and opens it up, checking the caller I.D._

Perfect_. "Valens?" She whispers into the phone. "Valens, it's me Miller. Look, Lilly's dead." The bile in her throat almost made her choke. Her voice was in a panic, but she made sure to keep it low. "He's after me. You need to help me, but I don't know where I am." She waiting for a response on the other line, but she got nothing. "Valens?" Still nothing. "Scotty?"_

_Nothing. She figures that he must have hung up before she even began speaking. She hurriedly presses end button on the phone and dials his number to call him back, but a beeping sound occurs. _Dead Battery!_ This couldn't have been happening. Not to her. She was so close. _Too close. _Something was too close, so close she was almost afraid to admit that she was indeed afraid. She wanted to just take off and continue running, leave Rush's body there and keep going, but she could even move at this point. Even if she could, she couldn't have left her body there. She couldn't let Lilly become on of the girls who survived a 49 to end up dead and headless because of it. If she could, she'd pick up that lifeless body and carry it out herself. But she couldn't, but she still could shake the feeling of something too close._

_There he was. She'd turned around and there he was standing behind her. How long he'd been she didn't know, but he could have easily killed her at anytime. The dead feeling in her stomach as he raised the rifle almost made her lye to the ground completely, but she sat up staring into the goggles that stared at her back. She knew who this was, she knew exactly who this was and the fact that she was in the situation that she was currently in, was all her fault. Lilly is dead because of her. All because Kat Miller let this guy slide right through her fingers and sautéed out the door. Kat Miller was now going to fall._

_Tears and fury fills her eyes. She wasn't going down without a fight. "You never showed me your hand goddammit! I gave you a Straight Flush, and you walk out!" Her body shivers as a breeze blows through, but she stood her ground. "This is the best you got?!" Somehow, she don't know how, she found the strength to rise up, her body off the dead blonde and ground on her own two feet, her head in direct line of fire. "This is your best hand?!" He wasn't going to play God with her. She was a survivor. She'd survived before and she'll survive again. _

_But all that confidence went away when he smirked, shifted his rifle, and fired. He didn't shoot her in the head. He shot her in the damn left leg. She'd fallen, as he blood was running onto Lilly's pale skin. He wound was in the same damn spot where she was shot before. Her screams filled the woods and echoed, as if help could actually hear them. She realizes that it was over. He won. He was always going to win. He didn't fold, he didn't place his hand on the table, but somehow, he'd still won._

_She regained composer of herself, she'd stopped hr screaming, although the pain wanted her to do otherwise. She looked over at him, with the rifle to his side. She had nothing left, she couldn't do it anymore. She couldn't survive, even for her little girl._

"_Hey jackass," She smirks as the tears rapidly fall from her eyes down her face. She knew whatever he'd was about to through at her she couldn't deal with later. There was no later, so she didn't care if the flowing tears stained her face, "you go near my daughter, I'll kill you." She knew it made no sense since she was going to die. _

_He rose the rifle and aimed it at her chest. She closes her eyes, wanting the image of her daughter's smile to be the last thought in her mind. But what came to her thoughts was something she couldn't bare. The horror look that she had when she saw her hurt before._

_That wasn't what she wanted to see, that wasn't what she wanted to happen. She want it to stop it, she want to tell him to wait. She wasn't ready to give in. But-_

_Bang!_

She jolted awake, looking around, taking in her surroundings. She was in her apartment, in her bedroom, still sitting in her windowsill, still had the lit cigarette in hand, well _was_ lit being it was burned out. The good news she wasn't in the woods. No feeling violated from lack of clothing, no injured legs from running, no dead Lilly, no bullet in the leg. And best of all, no George. Thank God there no great woods in North Philly. She didn't want to be hunted. She regretted her words from earlier that night. _'Up for a hunting game Lil…I can go all night.'_

_This_ was the reason why she wanted to put him away so badly. She knew if he walked, she'd had to face whatever he'd thrown at her. He was roaming free and he could get her at anytime. And the worst part, she gave him the invitation. She'd thrown Rush in there as if she wasn't a victim of the same situation as well. She just wishes she'd gotten the damn confession. She wouldn't have to _deal_ with her problems, she wouldn't have to _deal_ with the promise she made to herself.

That's why when Stillman told her to go home after the interview to get some rest, she insisted she'd stay and write up her report. That's why when Valens offered to drive her home, she insisted that she was fine 'cause like Vera, he was a nosey school girl too. That why when she got home, she stared at the low lives in front of her, still roaming the streets, because focusing on someone else was what she needed. She flicks the finished cigarette out onto the fire escape, watching it bounce off onto the street, stepping back inside. She wasn't going to break her promise. She was going to deal her past later, just not right now.


End file.
